1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mastectomy brassieres, and more particularly, this invention relates to mastectomy brassieres designed to support either a single prosthesis or a pair of prostheses with both physical comfort and normal appearance.
2. Prior Art and Technical Considerations
The deficiencies of prior art approaches to this problem are well documented in the patent literature. U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,168 issued Oct. 31, 1972, sets forth some of the deficiencies as follows:
"Every year in the United States more than 50,000 women undergo mastectomy operations for the removal of a breast. It has long been recognized that for the rapid rehabilitation of these women, both physically and mentally, a comfortable, well-fitted, and unobtrusive brassiere including a false breast is a necessity. Nothing retards the rehabilitation of these patients more than the fear of looking and feeling "different". PA1 Unfortunately, prior to the present invention a completely satisfactory mastectomy brassiere has not been available. One widely-used form if mastectomy brassiere in present use is formed of sponge rubber or similar material permanently sewn into the bra, which device is unsatisfactory for a number of reasons, including its inability to conform to the constantly changing position and contour of the wearer's normal breast during movement. Moreover, sponge rubber lacks the necessary weight to give the patient a feeling of balance, which lack of weight balance frequently results in the embarrassing tendency of the false breast to "ride up" on the chest wall, giving a lopsided appearance. In an attempt to overcome the latter problem various means have been devised to pull the insert downwardly and anchor it to the wearer's girdle or the like, but this is not only a nuisance, it causes the brassiere straps to cut into the wearer's shoulders, which is very uncomfortable and painful. Another shortcoming of said conventional mastectomy brassieres formed of sponge rubber or the like is that they are usually permanently sewn into the brassiere, and cannot be withdrawn for washing or airing out, which is necessary to eliminate the odor of perspiration, etc. PA1 In an effort to eliminate some of the problems inherent in prior mastectomy brassieres of the type using a permanent filler of sponge rubber or the like, as hereinabove described, in recent years mastectomy bras have been designed which can be inflated, like a balloon, or which include an insert filled with liquid, which type of insert is intended to conform more closely to the contour and position of the patient's normal breast in various different postures, as well as to eliminate the problem of the insert "riding up". Unfortunately, however, and as might be expected, said inflatable and liquid-filled brassieres sometimes develop a leak, particularly if they are of the common type which is merely pinned into the bra, which can result in an extremely embarrassing situation, as will be appreciated." PA1 "In the past, prosthetic breasts were established of lightweight pillow-like cushions filled with fibrous padding material, such as cotton. Such prosthesis were often very obviously artificial looking, were of very questionable effectiveness and have become quite unacceptable by those in need of such devices. PA1 The principal shortcomings to be found in fiber-filled prosthetic breasts of the nature referred to above resides in the fact that they are considerably lighter than a normal breast and fail to provide that balance and distribution of weight which is required to afford the user a natural appearance. Further, such prosthesis are rather rigid, non-fluid, non-ductile or non-plastic in nature and not only fail to settle and distribute their mass in the manner that natural breasts do (under the force of gravity), but fail to flow about and redistribute their mass in a regular and natural appearing manner when women wearing them walk or otherwise move about in the course of day-to-day activities. PA1 As a result of the above and in an effort to establish and provide more natural appearing prosthetic breasts, the art to which this subject matter relates provides prosthetic breasts which are substantially equal in size, weight and shape as the breasts they serve to replace and which are substantially the same as the breasts as regards softness, fluidity, ductility and/or plasticity. PA1 To the above end, the present day prosthetic breast is generally and/or most often characterized by a thin-walled flexibly and somewhat elastic molded plastic, sealed, envelope or vessel in the general form or configuration of the breast it is made to simulate and is filled with that volume of water or other suitable fluid necessary to impart into it the necessary or desired weight and volume or fullness. PA1 While the above practices are quite effective to establish and realistic prosthetic breasts, the prosthesis are most often quite heavy, weighing several pounds and are so fluid, ductile and/or plastic in nature that they are not easily handled. PA1 The upper, inside or rear portion of a wearer's breast is to a substantial extent supported and held up by its joinder to the body or rib cage and a brassiere provides desired under and outside support for the lower, forward and/or outer portion of the breast. Further, the breast is naturally permanently oriented relative to the body or rib cage. PA1 In the case of a prosthetic breast, the prosthesis finds no vertical support and no sure orientation from or by the body of the wearer and is free to drop downwardly and out of desired orientation, but for the brassiere which is provided to hold and support it. Accordingly, a brassiere must provide substantially total support and containment for the typical prosthetic breast whereas in the case of a natural breast, the support and containment it provides is only supplemental to the natural support and orientation afforded by the body. PA1 As a result of the foregoing, while quite natural looking and acting prosthetic breasts are available, great difficulty is experienced in properly and effectively containing and supporting them by means of ordinary brassieres. When using ordinary brassieres to support prosthetic breasts, there is a tendency for the prosthesis to drop and pull the brassiere down, to migrate downwardly and drop from between the brassiere and the body of the wearer and/or to shift laterally and/or to rotate or turn about and out of position and orientation within the brassiere. As a result, such ordinary brassieres cannot be effectively and safely used to support and contain prosthetic breasts. PA1 The above has resulted in the establishment and provision of special prosthetic breast brassieres which, as a general rule, are heavy, or bulky, unfeminine, harness-like structures which are most often uncomfortable to wear and which are so aesthetically unattractive and displeasing as to cause emotional stress to the women who must wear them. PA1 The most common characteristic of the prosthetic breast brassiere provided by the prior art is the provision of a broad, heavy, tightly fitting band which extends about the rib cage of the wearer to occur below the lower breast line and which is such that is will not be shifted and/or rolled downwardly by the weight of a prosthetic breast applied thereto and which is such that a prosthesis breast cannot migrate downwardly, between it and the body of the wearer. The noted band is sought to be made heavy enough and is intended to be drawn taut enough so that it is not excessively subject to rolling and/or gathering up into a thin, stiff, narrow cord-like mass. The noted band characteristically extends across and establishes pressure bearing engagement on the solar plexus of the wearer, which pressure, after a short time, results in considerable discomfort. PA1 The ordinary prosthetic breast brassiere is next characterized by substantially standard or usual laterally spaced, forwardly projecting, rearwardly opening, truncated, substantially conical fabric cups with lower edges fixed to the upper edge of the aforementioned band; by shoulder strap fixed to and extending between the upward rear portions of the cups and rear portion of the band and a substantially flat, vertical rear panel of soft fabric fixed with and overlying the lower rear portions of the cup or cups with which the prosthesis or prostheses are to be related and cooperating with the cup or cups to define pockets appearing at the upper rear portions of the cup or cups and in which the prosthesis is to be deposited. PA1 Basically, or fundamentally, the above noted common prosthetic breast brassiere can be said to be little more than an extra heavy duty, strictly utilitarian piece of equipment which is rugged and durable in use, requires rugged and often difficult physical manipulation and handling and requires a durable body and a rugged attitude or disposition on the part of the wearer, to cope with it. PA1 In use of the above noted common prosthetic brassiere, the garment is engaged on the wearer before the prostheses are related to it. When the brassiere is in position, the wearer must then manually stuff the prostheses into the cups and thereafter seek to properly orient them within the cups, as by use of her fingers. As a result of physical weakness and the like caused by the mastectomy, the above noted task is often extremely difficult or impossible."
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,876 issued May 24, 1977, defines the problems in more detail as follows:
Other U.S. Patents which are indicative of the state of the art include Ser. Nos. 2,717,602; 3,173,420; 3,348,241; 3,447,538; 3,568,681; 3,651,522; 3,957,057; and 4,166,471.
None of these patents together or in combination suggest a solution to the problem of providing a satisfactory mastectomy brassiere primarily because the brassieres disclosed in each of these patents are cut too low in front so as not to cover mastectomy incision scars and are not cut low enough in the area under the arms and across the rib cage to avoid a very tender and sensitive incision frequently made in that area to remove cancerous tissue. Moreover, none of these patents recognize the need for having a separate cover for enclosing silicon prostheses in order to prevent direct contact between the prostheses and skin of the wearer should the prostheses ride slightly out of their pockets and to match the color of prostheses to the wearer's skin tone.